Vardan Zakaryan
Vardan Zakaryan, born 1971, Moscow. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1.1, Russian Criminal Code (Involvement of a person in the activities of an extremist organization); “Fourth case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow”. Sentence (March 31, 2023): 4 years 3 months' imprisonment in a general regime colony, 3 years' prohibition of leading or participating in public… Status: not in Russia. Recognition: Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, January 27, 2021.
In brief
Moscow · Moscow · Service workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
4 years 3 months
imprisonment in a general regime colony, 3 years' prohibition of leading or participating in public organisations, mass events and demonstrations, and bimonthly registration with the state authority supervising the serving of sentences, with limitations of certain actions and freedoms for 1 year.
Upheld November 22, 2024
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1.1, Russian Criminal Code — Involvement of a person in the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, he was engaged in involving others in the activities of an extremist organisation
Latest event
October 16, 2025 — imprisonment ends
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, January 27, 2021
Timeline
· Imprisonment ends
· Persecution ends
· Cassation ruling
upheld
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 4 years 3 months
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial Human Rights Centre
· Preventive measure: house arrest
· Preventive measure: placement in a temporary detention facility
· Persecution begins
Fourth case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow
Criminal case
Fourth case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow
Other defendants in the case
- Vitaly Komarov — Imprisoned, 6 years 3 months
- Ivan Tchaikovsky — Imprisoned, 6 years 3 months
- Yuri Chernyshev — Imprisoned, 6 years 3 months
- Sergei Shatalov — Imprisoned, 6 years 3 months
Details and sources
Full summary
On 24 November 2020, Zakaryan's flat was searched. He was hit in the head with a rifle butt, after which he was sent to the hospital. His relatives were not allowed to pass him food. On November 26, Zakaryan was discharged from the hospital and sent to a detention centre, where he was charged overnight with involvement in the activities of an extremist organisation in connection with his participation in the Jehovah's Witnesses. Members of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles of law solely for their religious activities: meetings, joint worship services, and attracting new supporters.
He is being asked to testify against his co-members. On 30 November, the court appointed him to house arrest. On 31 March 2023, Zakaryan was sentenced to four years and three months in a general regime colony.
On 13 October 2025, the believer was released from the colony. Immediately after that, he was placed in the centre for temporary detention of foreign citizens for further deportation from Russia to Armenia. On 16 October, he was deported.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 282.2 part 1.1, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.